cp1a Am wichtigsten: Waffenstillstand / Most important: Ceasefire

24.10.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A P)

Three Conditions Set by the Government to Extend the Yemeni Truce

A Yemeni government source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that the legitimate government has set three conditions for extending the ceasefire that U.N. Special Envoy Islamil Ould Cheikh Ahmed had requested.

The three conditions include: Putting more pressure on rebels to force them abide by the truce, finding guarantees to the first point, and facilitating the delivery of aid, especially to Taiz.

The source justified these conditions by saying: “The legitimate government does not want to see rebels use this truce to mobilize their troops, double their assaults on Yemen and resume their attacks against the Saudi borders.”

Ould Cheikh had asked Yemeni warring parties to accept the extension of an expired humanitarian truce, which had entered into effect last Thursday.

The UN envoy for Yemen called on Saturday for the renewal of a 72-hour ceasefire in the country, though fighting has raged on between Shia rebels and government forces in spite of the truce.

"With the 72-hour Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed urges all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours," said a statement posted on the envoy's Facebook page.

The truce ended officially at midnight (2100 GMT) on Saturday. Ahmed said the ceasefire was "largely holding despite reported violations from both sides in several areas."

"We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days," Ahmed added.

The Yemeni government, backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, and Iran-supported Houthi rebels have traded accusations of truce violations over the past three days.

The UN envoy is liaising with the parties in an attempt to extend the ceasefire.

He met late on Friday with Yemen's Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in Riyadh, according to Yemeni state media.

Ahmar said government forces were "exercising restraint" and stressed that there were orders to "abide by the truce and respect UN efforts".

But he accused the rebels of 449 violations within 24 hours of the ceasefire taking effect.

Comment: Ceasefire largely holding???? – And only one side to be blamed for violations????

22.10.2016 –

Note to Correspondents: Statement Attributable to the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen on the Cessation of Hostilities, 22 October 2016

With the 72 hour Cessation of Hostilities in Yemen coming to an end, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail OuldCheikh Ahmed, urges all parties to agree to its extension for at least another renewable 72 hours.

"The ceasefire was largely holding despite reported violations from both sides in several areas. We noted over the last days that food and humanitarian supplies were provided to several affected neighborhoods and that UN personnel were able to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. We would like to build on this and we aim for a wider outreach in the next few days", said the Special Envoy.

The Special Envoy reminds all parties that the terms and conditions of the Cessation of Hostilities include an obligation to allow free and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies and personnel to all parts of Yemen, in addition to a full and comprehensive halt to military activities of any kind. “This must be respected at all times, in all areas”, said the Special Envoy.

A supposed ceasefire in the Yemen conflict expired a minute before midnight on Saturday after a day of heavy fighting between Saudi-backed forces and the Iran-allied Houthi movement.

Each side accused the other of repeatedly violating the three-day truce and U.N. attempts to extend it before it lapsed appeared to have failed.

Ground fighting raged largely unabated despite the ceasefire, but air attacks on the capital, Sanaa, stopped and there were fewer Houthi missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, residents and local officials said.

General Ahmed al-Asseri, commander of the Saudi 4th Brigade on the border in the Saudi province of Najran, told Reuters his forces were repelling a sustained Houthi ground attack.

"The violation of the truce was not from our side. It was from the other side. We are continuing to thwart them," Asseri said, speaking at a military outpost in the arid mountains separating the two countries.

"In the last 48 hours there was an enormous push by the enemy against our territory ... large numbers of fighters were moving towards the border."

Asseri said coalition forces did conduct an air strike inside Yemen against missiles and launchers that threatened Saudi civilians.

"The presence of missiles next to the border, we must deal with it with decisiveness. We must."

Houthi-run channel al-Masira said its forces had attacked Saudi positions in Najran on Friday and launched rockets into the neighbouring Saudi province of Jizan.

The network said Houthi fighters had repelled government advances backed up by Saudi-led air strikes toward the capital Sanaa from several directions.

Along the border, trust was in short supply.

"By God, there is a truce, but it doesn’t work with these people," said Hussein al-Abdali, 63, whose home in Jizan - in the shadow of Yemen's mountains - was damaged by a Houthi rocket on Thursday.

"They’re devils. I swear, they can only be stopped by fire and steel." – By Mohammed Ghobari and Katie Paul

Comment: Be aware how one-sided this article is. There is given audience only to anti-Houthi voices, although both sides had violated the cease fire. The Saudi air raids against civilian targets at several parts of the country simply are not mentioned. So propaganda works.

24.10.2016 – Asharq Al-Awsat (A K)

Houthis Prevent UNICEF Convoys from Entering Taiz

United Nations Children’s Rights and Emergency Relief Organization (UNICEF) told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper on Sunday that Houthi rebels have prevented a UNICEF aid convoy from entering the besieged city of Taiz, in a clear violation of the agreed ceasefire.

Juliette Touma, media officer at the UNICEF regional office, said that the organization was maintaining contact with the different warring parties to secure the delivery of humanitarian aid to children and residents of war-stricken areas in Yemen.

She added that UNICEF “urges all warring parties to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all children in need across the country, and to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid in legitimate means.”

In this context, governor of Taiz Ali Al-Maamari told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that Houthi militias and forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh were not abiding by the ceasefire – by Faisal al-Saadi

Comment: This would have been a clear breach of the ceasefire. Unfortunately, this is not the only such case. Remember that Saudi coalition had put a sea blockade on Yemen and had bombed the harbours of Hodeida and Mokha to prevent unloading vessels bringing urgently needed food and other staff.

22.10.2016 – AFP (* A K P)

Fighting rages in Yemen as UN seeks to extend truce

Fierce gun battles erupted overnight between Yemeni rebels and pro-government forces along the border with Saudi Arabia despite a three-day ceasefire due to end late on Saturday, military officials said.

Warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition fighting in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi also bombed suspected Huthi rebel missile launchers east of the capital Sanaa late on Friday, a military official said.

The air raids came after Patriot missiles shot down two rebel missiles on Thursday over Marib, east of the rebel-held capital.

UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Friday the ceasefire was “fragile but largely holding”, urging all parties “to show restraint, avoid further escalation, and strictly adhere to the 72-hour ceasefire”.

The truce took effect just before midnight on Wednesday to allow aid deliveries in Yemen, where the war has killed thousands of people and left millions homeless and hungry.

The UN envoy is liaising with the parties in an attempt to extend the ceasefire in order “to create a conducive environment for a long-lasting peace” in Yemen, he said in a statement.

He met on late Friday with Yemen’s Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar in Riyadh, Yemeni state media reported.

Ahmar said government forces were “exercising restraint” and stressed that there were orders to “abide by the truce and respect UN efforts”.

But he accused the rebels of 449 violations within 24 hours after the ceasefire took effect.

Rebel-controlled media, meanwhile, accused the coalition of conducting air strikes across the country, including in the provinces of Sanaa, Saada and Jawf in the north, and Shabwa in the south.

A senior rebel, Hassan al-Sharafi, was killed in border clashes on Friday night in Saada province, the fiefdom of the Iran-backed Huthis, military officials said.

The rebels seized two hills in the Alb border area from government forces who had previously advanced from Saudi Arabia, a military official said.

Nine other rebels and four government soldiers were killed in clashes on Saturday on the western outskirts of Midi, a north-western town close to the Saudi border and the Red Sea coast, military officials said.

The fighting erupted when troops advanced towards Midi in an attempt to recapture it.

Saudi aggression warplanes continued over the past hours to breach cease-fire declared by the United Nations throughout Yemen, officials told Saba on Saturday. In the northern governorate of Saada, at least three civilians were killed in an air strike by the Saudi aggression warplanes that targeted citizen`s houses in Mafrag Baqim district. Al-Buqa area, also in Saada, the army and popular forces repelled Saudi-paid mercenaries when attempting to infiltrate towards the border crossing point of al-Buqa. In Asir region, on the Yemeni northern border, the army and popular forces held off another attempt of the mercenaries to advance on al-Shaibani Galal area. In Marib, at the heart of the country, Saudi air forces launched four air raids on the center of Serwah district, as well as the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired artillery and missiles targeted the army and popular forces` sites in Malh and al-Rabiah areas of the district. The air strikes and mercenaries indiscriminate shells damaged residents' houses, the officials said. In Sanaa governorate, the warplanes waged two raids on Bani Hushish district and other two strikes on Nagail Ban Gailan mountainous highway of Nehm district of governorate, northeast of the capital, Sanaa. In southeast governorate of Al-Baidha, the mercenaries targeted the army and popular forces` military sites in Qevh, al-Zahir, Mukeiras and Dhi Naim districts with light and medium weapons. In the southeastern province of Shabwa, the mercenaries shelled with various weapons the army military sites in Usaylan district. In Taiz, the southwest province, the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired heavy and medium weapons on the provincial capital city of the province, which bears the same name. the mercenaries shelling also targeted the national army sites in Qushabah, Omari Dhubab, Karash areas in west of Taiz, as well as al-Wazeih district. Meanwhile, the army repelled an attempt by the mercenaries to advance toward Jarah Mount. The officials said the aggression warplanes kept flying over the province's capital city and districts for hours overnight. In Jawf, the northeast province, the aggression fighter jets launched two strikes on al- Ghayl district as the army and popular forces repelled two attempts by the mercenaries to advance from al-Saber area to Sakia area and the other attempt towards Wafz area in al-Maslob district. In the meantime, the army and popular forces bombed mercenaries' military vehicles when the army and popular forces confronted infiltration by the mercenaries in al-Moton district, also in Jawf, where officials and residents said the aggression fighter jets intensively flew over the regions for hours on Friday night. In Lahj, the southwest province, the national army and popular forces repelled the mercenaries' attempts to advance towards the national forces' sites in Kahbub area. In the southern province of al-Dhalee, the mercenaries fired light and medium weapons against residents' houses in Ramah, Nasah, Goz al-Kasabh and Shaleil villages, killing a citizen and wounding another in Shaleil village. In the far northwest province of Hajja, the army and popular forces foiled an attempt by the enemy Saudi troops to advance toward the farthermost port of Tabat al-Sahil in the port city of Medi, the officials said – By Ali Ahsan

U.N. special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed had described the truce as "largely holding" on Saturday and was seeking to extend it, but there was no information available on whether combatants would agree to such a move.

Late Friday, Ahmed met in the Saudi capital with exiled Yemen Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, and said afterward that Yemeni government forces were "exercising restraint" in the face of what he said were more than 400 truce violations by Shi'ite rebel fighters.

Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen accused each other of violating a ceasefire on Saturday as the United Nations tried to extend the three-day truce.

The ceasefire, due to end at midnight local time on Saturday, is aimed at paving the way for talks to end a 19-month war

Ground fighting has raged largely unabated despite the truce, but air attacks on the capital, Sanaa, have stopped and there were fewer Houthi missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, residents and local officials said.

A Saudi-led coalition backing the exiled government accused the Houthis of violating the ceasefire almost 1,000 times in the last 24 hours by launching mortar and armed attacks along Yemen's border with the kingdom and in several Yemeni provinces.

General Ahmed al-Asseri, commander of the Saudi 4th Brigade on the border in Najran, told Reuters his forces were repelling a sustained Houthi ground attack.

"The violation of the truce was not from our side. It was from the other side. We are continuing to thwart them," Asseri said.

"In the last 48 hours there was an enormous push by the enemy against our territory."

Houthi-run channel al-Masira said its forces had attacked Saudi positions in Najran on Friday and launched rockets into the neighboring Saudi province of Jizan.

The network said Houthi fighters had repelled government advances backed up by Saudi-led air strikes toward the capital Sanaa from several directions.

Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the exiled vice president and a powerful military leader, said after a meeting with the U.N. special envoy to Yemen in Riyadh late on Friday that his government sought peace but would respond to Houthi attacks.

Ahmar said U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed had asked for the truce to be extended for another 72 hours, and government sources told Reuters foreign diplomats were lobbying both sides to prolong the ceasefire.

The Houthis have also called for a negotiated solution to the conflict but were yet to agree on a truce extension – by Mohammed Ghobari and Katie Paul

Comment: Obviously, both sides are breaking the ceasefire, and even more, there seems to have been little left of any ceasefire. It is striking that in this situation Reuters is giving its attention mostly only to just one side and what it tells. And Assiri, proved as liar many times, is given the audience to spread his exaggerated and invented figures.

Yemen’s government announced on Sunday that nine people had died of cholera in second city Aden as the infectious disease spread across the war-torn country.

Ten other people in the southern port city have been diagnosed with the potentially fatal disease which is transmitted through contaminated drinking water and causes acute diarrhoea, the health ministry said.

A ministry statement said 190 cases of severe diarrhoea had been admitted to hospitals in Aden, which hosts the government’s temporary headquarters.

The ministry said that around 200 cases of cholera had been reported nationwide.

Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has dispatched urgent medical supplies to a number of hospitals in Aden to prevent the spread of cholera following monitoring a number of cases in several districts that caused the death of some patients there.

The central laboratory at Al Jumhouriya hospital received the oral rehydration solution (ORS) to help examine suspected cases of cholera. The ERC also delivered to competent authority in Aden 20 barrels of chlorine as part of a contribution to fight against the spread of cholera.

The ERC team provided in Aden the ORS to the coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Yemen, Dr. Mohammed Cleese, who thanked the ERC on the speedy response. He added that these solutions were sufficient to examine 500 suspected cases.

7-year-old Salim was admitted to a WHO-supported therapeutic feeding centre in Al-Hudaydah governorate in early September suffering from severe malnourishment with other medical complications, including brain atrophy and severe diarrhoea.

"He was poised between life and death when he was first brought to the centre," said Dr Salima Saeed, the medic responsible for Salim's case. “After receiving intensive nutritional treatment for 45 days, Salim is now ready to be discharged. We are proud that we were able to save his live and bring his smile back. It's very touching to see his mother immensely relieved."

Salim is one of more than 500 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with serious medical complications who have been treated in a WHO-supported therapeutic feeding centre in Al-Hudaydah since August 2015. Most children suffering from severe acute malnutrition that come to the centres are suffering from other medical complications such as respiratory infections, skin lesions and organ failure. Due to limited availability of health services around the country, the centre has also received cases from neighbouring governorates, including Hajjah, Al-Mahweet, Raima and Taiz. Since the beginning of the conflict, the number of cases received by this centre alone have increased by more than 70%.

In addition to the centre in Al-Hudaydah, WHO is also supporting 11 other therapeutic feeding centres in Sa'ana, Abyan, Lahj, Aden and Hadramout governorates to treat severely malnourished children with serious medical complications. The staff of these centres are trained by WHO. Medicines and equipment of the centre are also provided by WHO.

Since August 2015, WHO-supported therapeutic feeding centres in Yemen have treated over 2700 children with severe acute malnutrition, providing them with free-of-charge full treatment, milk and medicines, as well as health education for mothers and relatives attending the facility.

King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aids began distributing 30,000 baskets of food supplies to needy families in the Hudaydah province in Yemen. It's expected for this aid to help 180,000 people in need. The number of beneficiaries from the center's food programs in the province until the month of October will thus reach 400,000. The food programs have been implemented by a group of local and international partners. The center's general supervisor Abdullah al-Rabiah said the center continues to implement several programs through UN organizations such as the World Food Program to provide urgent needs of food assistance in 16 Yemeni provinces which are: Mahwit, Imran, al-Bayda, al-Dalea, al-Jawf, al-Amana, Marib, Ibb, Hudaydah, Sanaa, Abyan, Taiz, Hijjah, Raymah, Dhamar and Lahij. According to Rabiah, the program includes distributing 134,000 baskets of food supplies during October to aid 938,000 people. Rabiah also said the center will continue to distribute food baskets and tents to refugees in the provinces of Jawf, Marib and Hadramout as they are distributing 21,7000 food baskets, 1,064 tents and 17,710 blankets, adding that the number of beneficiaries so far has reached 130,200.

Comment: In Houthi-held Hodeida province, this food will be most urgently needed. Well, the Saudis could do better just in lifting the blockade and helping to restore the harbour of Hodeida and the infrastructure. It’ they who have caused the whole catastrophe.

23.10.2016 – Hussain Albukhaiti (* A H)

She is NOT smiling OR Happy She is starving Her name is Saaeidah, means Happy #Saudi#UAE#USA#UK blockade #Yemen (Photos)

Starvation wreaks havoc on a person's immune system, largely on account of an extreme deficiency of minerals and vitamins. Some people will become weak and perish of immune-related diseases during starvation. Eventually, the person's body will run out of options. Fats, glucose, muscle mass and tissue are finite resources that will eventually be spent and the person will die. The end-stage of starvation usually brings with it one of two different diseases - kwashiorkor and marasmus.Marasmus happens due to extreme energy deficiency, often from inadequate amounts of calories and protein. The person's body weight reaches dangerously low levels and infections are common. Kwashiorkor is a related disease that affects children who are protein-energy deficient and might result in edema and an enlarged and fatty liver, resulting in the distending of the children's bellies, providing the illusion that children who are starving are well-fed.When the person's death finally arrives, its most immediate cause is by cardiac arrhythmia or a heart attack brought on by either extreme tissue degradation brought about by autophagy, or severe electrolyte imbalances. People can die of starvation in as little as three-weeks, or as long as seventy days.

Assabaeen Hospital, #Sanaa This baby is still one of the few lucky ones to reach hospital and his parents -maybe they sold everything- found enough funds to pay for medical assistance. There is no food in #Yemen. There is no money to buy medicines, food, clear water. At times, not even money for the taxi or the public bus to reach a hospital for a late, desperate journey (photo)

cp1c Am wichtigsten: Sonstiges / Most important: Other

Increasing evidence suggests Kingdom is not merely bombing civilians in neighbouring country, but systematically targeting infrastructure survivors will need to avoid starvation when the war is over

In fact, there is substantial evidence emerging that the Saudis and their “coalition” allies – and, I suppose, those horrid British “advisers” – are deliberately targeting Yemen’s tiny agricultural sector in a campaign which, if successful, would lead a post-war Yemeni nation not just into starvation but total reliance on food imports for survival. Much of this would no doubt come from the Gulf states which are currently bombing the poor country to bits.

The fact that Yemen has long been part of Saudi Arabia’s proxy war against Shiites and especially Iran – which has been accused, without evidence, of furnishing weapons to the Shia Houthi in Yemen – is now meekly accepted as part of the Middle East’s current sectarian “narrative” (like the “good” rebels in eastern Aleppo and the “very bad” rebels in Mosul). So, alas, have the outrageous bombings of civilians. But agricultural targets are something altogether different.

Academics have been amassing data from Yemen which strongly suggests that the Saudis’ Yemen campaign contains a programme for the destruction of rural livelihood.

a conservative report from the ministry of agriculture and irrigation in the Yemeni capital Sana’a, gathered from its officers across the country, details 357 bombing targets in the country’s 20 provinces, including farms, animals, water infrastructure, food stores, agricultural banks, markets and food trucks.

“According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2.8 per cent of Yemen’s land is cultivated,” Mundy says. “To hit that small amount of agricultural land, you have to target it.” Saudi Arabia has already been accused of war crimes, but striking at the agriculture fields and food products of Yemen in so crude a way adds merely another grim broken promise by the Saudis – by Robert Fisk

Comment by Judith Brown: I posted an article about this which I wrote at the beginning of the year. It is inexcusable. People are starving to death, and there is no clear reason why this needs to happen - in the view of anyone. Insane.

cp2 Allgemein / General

It’s unclear how much influence the U.S. has over Saudi Arabia’s decision-making in a theater so close to the latter. But it is equally uncertain whether Riyadh can prosecute the war without U.S. support and that may be the lever that prompts renewed diplomacy. Riyadh retains leverage of its own. It has imposed a blockade on Yemen that threatens a humanitarian crisis: according to the United Nations, half of Yemen’s population, or some 14 million people, do not have enough to eat.

A power-sharing arrangement between Hadi and Saleh is the only sustainable solution, but that requires Saudi Arabia to acknowledge Iranian influence in Yemen. But influence is not the same as control. Saudi Arabia should back a deal that empowers Yemeni nationalists who will be equidistant from Riyadh and Tehran. That is the best deal for all sides in the Yemen conflict, as well as the parties that back them.

Comment: Overview article. And again: This war is no Saudi-Iranian proxy war.

23.10.2016 – Veterans Today (* B K P)

Can Everyone Stop Saying The Houthis Are An Iranian Proxy?

Tehran’s support for the Houthis is minimal at best, and its influence in Yemen is non-existent. It is simply inaccurate to state that the Zaidi Houthis are Shia Iranian proxies.

One thing that is beginning in to bug me the most when reading anything analysing the Yemen Crisis is the claptrap narrative being pumped out by practically everyone covering the Yemen conflict since it began over a year ago.

The idea that Iran is somehow heavily involved in what is happening in Yemen and pulling all the strings behind the Houthi forces fighting both Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda and now it seems the USA. This narrative is grossly exaggerated at best if not almost completely false and misleading to people who genuinely want to understand the truth in Yemen, not just what Saudi Arabia thinks is going on.

I would like to clear a few things up in this humble article of mine for people who want a much more honest description of who is really involved in Yemen conflict and to what extent.

The Saudi’s are adamant that the Houthi tribes from north Yemen are another Iranian armed proxy force which plans to launch attacked on Saudi from Yemen in a similar way to how the Lebanese Hezbollah has fought against Israel. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are guilty of sponsoring armed proxy forces around the Middle East. The only difference is Iran gets called up on it while the Saudi’s proxy supplying foreign policy is largely overlooked or at least not labelled in the same way as the Iranian’s are by the media. The Lebanese Hezbollah, various Iraqi militias and even the peaceful opposition protests in Bahrain are all labelled as ‘Iranian proxies’ or ‘Iranian-inspired’ for the fact they receive money, arms or even just basic political sympathy from the Iranian establishment. In return, armed Salafist groups such as Al Qaeda in Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan are not labelled as ‘Saudi proxies’ despite the fact they receive money, weapons, the religious and political support they receive from Saudi Arabia. However, it is incredibly important to realise when looking at the Yemen conflict that the Houthi’s simply do not qualify as an ‘Iranian proxy’ when comparing them to a genuine Arab representative of Iran, like Hezbollah. A genuine Iranian ‘proxy’ would comply with direct orders from the Iranian military Quds force commanders and also the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Hezbollah and its leader Sayid Hassan Nasrallah are an obvious example of this, however, the 2014 Houthi-led revolution in Yemen showed that the Yemen leadership was ignoring Iranian advice since the begging. US President Obama also admitted to this fact back in June 2015

The future

Saudi Arabia has gotten everything wrong in Yemen. They have failed to occupy any of the major cities in the north & mid-Yemen, they have failed to stop a new independent government from forming in Sanaa and now even their Arab coalition allies who were in many cases forcefully dragged into this pointless conflict are begging to abandon ship.

Saudi is exhausting itself trying to win a war using despicable tactics on a population which refuses to accept Saudi or western rule.

The Saudi’s have acted appallingly in Yemen and have only themselves to blame. Whichever government sits in Sanaa in the future, the people of Yemen will all resent the Saudi kingdom for generations.

If the media must continue with this odious and cliche narrative that the Houthis are all ‘Iranian-backed, Shia Houthi Rebels’ then they must at least also correctly label Wahhabi terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban as ‘Saudi-backed Wahhabi terrorists’ – by Muhammed Ali Carter

A peace activist says the United States and Britain are pushing Saudi Arabia to engage in the war on Yemen for their own profits.

“This is not in the UK or the US’s national interest to be supporting this war but it is in business interest and that is often what wars [are] usually about,” David Swanson told Press TV.

“It is companies from the UK and the United States that are pushing for theaters of war so they can play with their F-35s and F-22s, which cost half a billion dollars per unit, and Yemen does not have the anti-aircraft or air defense to deal with these. It is a safe place for them to have a playground for war. It is really that disgusting,” he added.

Swanson said the United States had sold billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia despite the fact that it was aware that Riyadh was aiding and financing the terrorist groups which Washington was supposed to be fighting in Syria.

The activist said Saudi Arabia’s indefinite bombardment of Yemen was going to have a major blowback and there would be a price to pay down the road.

“They (the Saudis) have to stop these cycles of violence but in order to do that we are going to get foreign powers and their business interests out because that is what is at play here,” he said.

Yemen is defined by geography, kinship and sect. Villages remain isolated, underserved by roads, electricity and schools. Clan is the infrastructure, with changing loyalties. Insults are unresolved for generations, with outbreaks of violence.

A long-term solution is needed.

The U.S., our allies and the Gulf Cooperation Council must enforce a truce. Yemen has no capability to attack other nations. It needs help to manage water resources and improve education and food production. We can be part of the solution. On Aug. 9, the Pentagon advised Congress of the sale to the Saudis of $1.8 billion more in armaments. Is that all we can deliver to these desperate people? – by David Fredrick

The government is facing growing pressure to curb its arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which is fighting a bitter war in neighbouring Yemen. But will any embargo on arms exports, or the imposition of further controls, really alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people?

At first sight, the case for any such embargo is compelling. There is convincing evidence that the Saudis, like their opponents, are deploying brutal and ruthless tactics that involves, according to a UN report, the ‘widespread and systematic’ targeting of civilians.

Anti-arms trade lobbyists are also fighting hard in the law courts, seeking a judicial review against the Government. They are arguing that the exports violate British and European laws because there is a significant chance that the recipients could use them against civilians.

But this will not do anything to alleviate the misery of the Yemeni people because any British retreat from the Saudi arms market simply creates an opportunity for a plethora of other suppliers. France, Germany and Spain have also struck highly lucrative arms deals with the Gulf States and would immediately fill any commercial void that Britain creates.

Nor, for the same reason, would any EU-led embargo prove any more effective.

The most obvious response is to give more substance to the 2014 treaty, which has been criticized by anti-arms trade campaigners for its lack of teeth.

Providing the ATT with the ‘teeth’ it needs is therefore a daunting challenge but there is, fortunately, a simpler and more realistic way of pressurising governments into curbing their arms sales to the coalition or to any warring party that may be breaching its terms. That tool is media pressure.

To date, the war in Yemen has been underreported, effectively closed off to the outside world by an uncooperative Saudi regime and the hostility of the Houthi rebels. However, reports and photos have filtered through from a number of independent local journalists. And it is these reports that would give compelling evidence – more compelling than ‘official investigations’ that are not based on the ground – of what is really happening on the ground.

Perhaps Western media outlets could do more to nurture these local sources of information. Ways could be found providing them with more up-to-date equipment, while their reports and photos could be better rewarded and their footage given more airtime.

Such efforts would expose any violation of international law by the Saudis, or indeed by any other warring party anywhere in the world, and Western governments would be shamed into taking action far more quickly and effectively than years of high level wrangling about revised treaty terms – By Roger Howard

Comment: Of course, media should do that. Howard is right in that point. But, they will not. One reason certainly also is that this is a subject totally blaming the governments and the transatlantic close connections to the US. And our mainstream media are no more free in major topics, have degenerated to propaganda outlets for US interventionist foreign policy. – And, the governments deciding on further arms deals show how they care for all the evidence of war crimes, which still exists, and which in Britain even was presented to the House of Commons by experts, media, human rights activists for the two inquiries hold by the parliament: What did they care? Nothing, they were just looking away and pretending there would be no evidence. With governments morally totally corrupted like those we have – and they are as those as we will get in the future as well – nothing will change.

22.10.2016 – Tehran Times (* B K P)

Yemen mirror of global decay of morality

we have talked to London-based human rights activist Jamila Hanan

If America wanted to stop the war they could stop refuelling the jets, and until they do then the rest of their talk is just the usual double standard rhetoric.

Western countries are sticking to arms deals with Riyadh quite simply because profit is more important to their leaders, than are the poor Yemeni people's lives.

The more you bomb the people of Yemen the more determined they become to resist all forms of foreign 'intervention'.

Q. Attack on Medicines Without Borders, air raids on a market in March killing 119 people, being on the list of child-killers, bribing to be removed from the list and now attacking a funeral… are these highlights not enough for international condemnation of Saudi invasion on Yemen? These things should be enough to bring about international condemnation, but unfortunately many of our world leaders are compromised by connections and deals with the Saudi regime or arms sales. What we see is a global decay of morality where few of our leaders speak the truth and nearly all show a disgraceful display of double standards.

Q. Why did Saudi Arabia attack the funeral at the first place? Is it acceptable that it was a mistake while Saudi Arabia and its coalition are using advanced weapons purchased from US and UK? Or they were targeting a particular figure as the procession was for demised father of defense minister of revolutionaries in Yemen? Saudi Arabia clearly knew that there would be several political leaders and military officers at the funeral and has little concern about killing innocent civilians so did not hesitate to bomb the funeral hall when they saw the opportunity, knowing that they can carry out their war crimes with complete impunity, as they have done previously without any consequences.

Q. White House has threatened to review it support for Saudi-led invasion of Yemen; how serious this threat is and would that change anything on the scene? I don't take this threat by the White House to review support for Saudi's invasion seriously at all. There have been numerous calls for reviews after previous massacres and it is clear that there is still overwhelming political support for America to keep selling arms to Saudi Arabia, as demonstrated in a recent vote on the matter. If America wanted to stop the war they could stop refuelling the jets, and until they do then the rest of their talk is just the usual double standard rhetoric.

It must be taken into consideration that each of the powers relevant to the Yemeni crisis looks at the conflict from its point of view, as at the same time there are ambiguities about firing missiles from Yemen at the US naval vessels that added to complexity of the conditions. It is still unclear if the US warships has in reality come under attack and if it has taken place who has launched the missile attacks.

So, if there were more precise information available about missiles fired at the US battle ships, now it was easy to analyze the Yemeni issues. Because if Ansarullah has fired the rockets, it was a different case but if they are fired by another group with the aim of dragging the US to Yemen war, it is a different case. If Ansarullah has conducted the missile attack, it is a much uncalculated move unless the movement has made its evaluations and decided that it could even make moves against the US.

Concerning the long-term outlook between Sana’a and Riyadh, we need to know that in earlier 6 wars between the two neighbors the Saudis failed to hold a military upper hand in the face of the Yemenis in general and Ansarullah in particular, and it seems that the current confrontation, too, has no military winner. What today is needed for Yemen is a political settlement according to the Yemenis' demands and without foreign interventions. But with respect to the developments across the world and Yemen, it seems that Yemen crisis day by day moves towards more tensions and clashes inside Yemen and between the regional and transregional powers.

Meanwhile, it seems that Ansarullah is suffering from weakness in the political work. If in the present conditions, in which Saudis are plagued by passiveness and the Americans are put under strains by the public opinion and the media, Ansarullah takes advantage of the political atmosphere and moves away from military clashes, the situation could go better for it.

cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation

The ETC is establishing security and data telecommunications services for the humanitarian community operating in Yemen. WFP is leading ETC activities in Yemen with responsibility for coordination, implementation and overall operational support for common ICT services. Provision of the services included on this map are dependent on the availability of funding. Locations are proposed only and subject to final confirmation with humanitarian partners.

Comment by Judith Brown: Reports by MSF. the photos are of displaced living in a school - which not only is a problem for the millions of people who have been forced to become displaced by the indiscriminate bombing of their homes, but also it's a problem for children who need to be educated but find their schools are occupied by people without homes

Comment by Judith Brown: More about humanitarian aid. But with roads and bridges bombed it is very difficult to move goods - and guess what - Saudi Arabia bombed Hodeida and Sanaa airport on the day before the truce started so that nothing could be brought in by air.

cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis

24.10.2016 – Saba Net (A P)

President chairs meeting of Defense Ministry's leadership

President of the Supreme Political Council Saleh Al-Sammad chaired an extended meeting here at the Defence Ministry headquarters with Acting Defense Minister Hussein Khiran and Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Zakaria al-Shami. The meeting took place on Sunday at the presence of the Deputy of the Supreme of Political Council Kasim Labouza and Head of the Military and Security Committee, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullah al-Kawsi. During the meeting, the officials discussed the situations of the combat fronts and the plans approved by the defense ministry and the leadership of the general staff to enhance the fronts, confront the military escalation planned by the US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition and to deal with all possible risks at all fronts. The officials also reviewed the operational performance reports, logistical support and the readiness in all military units in line with alternative plans put forward by the leadership of the military zones that aim to absorbed the main impact of the aggression air strikes against the military zones throughout the republic's governorates. In addition, the officials discussed the integration that has been achieved between the army and the popular forces.

The UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived on Sunday in Sana’a for a two-day visit.

He pointed out that he will seek, during the visit, thoughts that maybe translated into tangible plans, noting that he will work to activate a new ceasefire and described the recent cease-fire as “fragile”.

cp6 Südjemen und Hadi-Regierung / Southern Yemen and Hadi-government

Hadi not involved in corruption and does not take any bribe nor traders in their projects and shares the blackmailing ministers and officials do not Asemsr of oil; leaves dirty Jalal business.

All projects to stumble in Aden and other southern cities because of the brokerage network of Jalal Hadi; everything takes it ratio; sewage overflowed, but what of falsehood.

Jalal abused for his father and for the state and for everything; even Bwlos appointment decisions; Samsar even in Phys government visits to Saudi Arabia; Samsar in grants to Aden and the south.

A senior UAE official told me that Jalal through corruption network and ruled in his father's decisions hindered projects and plans that were drawn to Aden and other southern cities.

As the Houthis supervisors spoil all the work for them; the legitimacy of Hadi Musharraf spoil all the work and its allies are; this is the supervisor (Jalal) famous saying: (km Our rate).

winning failure in Aden and southern cities is not a coincidence; it is a corruption of the network run by Jalal Hadi industry; and what is not to get rid of that network will not list for the South.

Marib not subject to corruption network Jalal Hadi; so it does not suffer any problems; and reject their portfolios each direction of Hadi feel that the network behind the corruption of his son; so the best unchanged from Aden.

Jalal runs south file with the same mentality of corruption has ever known in Sanaa; brokerage on everything involved in everything sell everything; so it will not fit in the south anything.

Comment: Corruption under “president” Hadi, the main role played by his son Jalal Hadi. On Hadi corruption, see also

11.12.2014 – Foreign Policy (** B E)

Yemen’s Astonishing Financial Meltdown

Missing millions, a fresh political crisis, and an economy on the verge of collapse.

A number of political insiders in Sanaa say that Jalal Hadi, the president’s son, has been flush with cash of late. Strikingly, two people I’ve interviewed describe almost the exact same sequence of events after meetings with Jalal, who until 2011 was deputy minister for expatriate affairs, hardly a job that comes with a huge salary. Both sources were led into a room stacked with pallets of cash, where aides handed them sums of up to a million Yemeni riyals, about $5,000. Two other people who have met with the president’s son, but have not been offered money, say that he is open about the extent to which he “helps” people. (A presidential official declined to comment, saying that Hadi’s son is a private individual.)

A number of people in the southern port city of Aden say that a close Hadi adviser has approached them offering patronage, meanwhile. The adviser is said by several people to be the conduit through which Hadi has been funneling payments to the so-called “Popular Committees,” the tribal militias Hadi brought into Aden in November to secure the port in the face of growing calls for secession among southerners.

cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks

23.10.2016 – UN Development Programme (A H)

Building Capacity of Local NGOs to Respond to Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis and Improve Service Delivery in Conflict Affected Communities

In cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Humanitarian Forum Yemen (YHF) has concluded a two-week training course on Humanitarian Competencies, Conflict Resolution, and Early Recovery to build the capacity of local Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The objectives of the training are to reflect the local NGOs experience in the thematic training manuals, which UNDP and YHF are working to develop, promote a wide scale response to the humanitarian crisis in the country and to improve service delivery in the conflict affected areas. In the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, UNDP, YHF and local NGOs, a closing ceremony was held in the capital Sana'a on Thursday to mark the graduation of more than 60 trainees including 50% of women, representing 30 local NGOs from the governorates of Abyan, Aden and Taiz.

The Saudi justice ministry and the supreme judicial council have begun implementing a plan to open labor courts which are expected to begin operating by the end of this year. The Saudi daily Okaz quoted sources as saying that the supreme judicial council has begun training judges. These labor courts will be present in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Makkah and Madinah. Some sources estimated that the number of cases which are expected to be referred to these labor courts will be around 20,000.

Comment: Nothing will really change as long as the present clientele system bounds and enslaves foreign workers.

21.10.2016 – Saudi Gazette (* A P)

The Saudi National Program for Conventions and Exhibitions has taken penal action against the organizer of the 10th edition of the Luxury Motor Show (EXCS), Jeddah for a number of violations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The program has found the organizer guilty of violating the principles of the Islamic Shariah and the Saudi customs and traditions as well as the regulations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.

The organizer of the show has to sign an undertaking to immediately remove the violation and not to repeat it in future. The program emphasized that the Islamic values and customs shall be fully adhered to while organizing any exhibitions and conventions as well as the regulations for issuing licenses for holding exhibitions and events.

Earlier, the Jeddah Police detained officials of the Motor Show organizing company and some other car companies as part of their investigation into the violations. This was in line with a directive from Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, emir of Makkah and advisor to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, SPA reported adding that punitive measures will be taken against the violators.

According to reports, the organizers of the show, which opened on Tuesday in Jeddah, had reportedly violated the principles of the Islamic Shariah and the Saudi customs and traditions. An investigation into the violations has been launched following the pictures of young Saudi women models posing in front of the pavilion of a luxurious car company at the show went viral on social media.

Many Saudi Aramco employees have submitted their resignations because of reported changes in allowances and incentives, Al-Hayat Arabic daily reported on Saturday.

The newspaper also reported about rumors that the company’s HR executive director and personnel manager have sought early retirement.

However, Saudi Aramco denied that the company’s officials have requested early retirement.

Al-Hayat said that the employees are concerned about budget cuts in the company which might affect their salary and allowances.

Last month a senior Aramco official said that the company plans to invest a total of about $334 billion by 2025, including spending on infrastructure and projects to maintain oil capacity.

Abdulaziz Al-Abdulkarim, vice president for procurement and supply chain management, told a conference in Bahrain that the figure included spending on exploring for and developing unconventional resources, such as shale gas.

“Saudi Aramco is forecast to spend around $334 billion. This will be spent on material and services to support service facilities, infrastructure projects, drilling and maintain (oil) potential projects, unconventional resources both in the exploration phase and development and several other projects,” he told the conference.

Near the end of an hourlong interview at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Oct. 7, 2016, Russ Feingold was asked about his criticism of Saudi Arabia in the fight against international terrorism.

The Wisconsin Democrat, who is seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, gave this answer:

"Here is a country that is a friend; at least an ally. A country that we have a good relationship with, that can help us in a lot of ways -- not just with oil, but in military situations such as what’s going on in a number of places in the Middle East.

"Having said that, though, this regime has embraced Wahhabism. Wahhabism is an extreme form of Islam that they have paid to export throughout the world.

"This Wahhabism is the principle force -- going from Pakistan to Ethiopia to Mali and now to Kosovo -- that is turning perfectly moderate Muslim peoples, peace-loving peoples, into people who adopt an extreme religious approach where the women are all covered up and they are basically taught that Americans are the devil.

"How can we allow a country to be perceived as a friend -- across the board, without any questions -- when they are doing such a terrible thing?"

So, has a U.S. ally "paid to export throughout the world" Wahhabism -- "an extreme form of Islam" that basically teaches "Americans are the devil"?

William McCants, director of the Brookings Institution’s Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World, told us Wahhabism "is one of the most intolerant forms of Islam." And in Gelvin’s view, Wahhabism "has squeezed out other, more moderate forms of Islam and in many places in the Middle East, it is the only game in town."

Thie final part of Feingold’s claim is more debatable.

"I would agree with everything except the ‘Americans are the devil,’" Islamic specialist Khaleel Mohammed, a religious studies professor San Diego State University, told us. "Having studied there, I must say I never found any insinuation as such. But, I would agree that Wahhabism promotes ‘occidentophobia’ (anti-Western sentiments among Muslims)."

Weinberg, with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, called that part of Feingold’s claim debatable and other experts use different characterizations – by Tom Kertscher

Saudi Arabia cannot go on throwing every decent person who speaks out on human rights into jail

If the King really wants his country to be a ‘pioneering global model of excellence on all fronts’ then what is he doing shutting Saudis who want basic freedoms and rights in the clink?

But now al-Hamid is “under investigation” in prison – for sending, earlier this year, a letter to His Majesty King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and head of the House of Saud, a letter entitled: “The Flaws of Despotism”.

Despotism? DESPOTISM? What could this man be talking about?

Either way, al-Hamid and his fellow members of ACPRA, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association – which has peacefully sought a constitutional monarchy, an elected parliament, and an independent judiciary – are not getting much of a hearing in the Kingdom. In fact, no hearing at all.

So let’s take a look at the mournful list of some of its members and what has happened to them.

A truly visionary monarch – less influenced, perhaps, by his warlike defence minister Prince Mohamed (Salman’s son by his third wife and the chap who launched the Yemen military fiasco) might have embraced these men as patriotic Saudis who want to help him bring his country into the real vision of 2030. But, no; they must be enemies of the state if they speak so freely – even if they still want a monarchy, albeit constitutional.

When I asked its Gulf human rights officer, Michelle Wazzan, why such humble dissidents should trouble the Kingdom, she talked about fear.

“Their ideas resonate with the people,” she said. “It’s coming to people in the streets. They make people feel they should ask for their rights – not just a constitutional monarchy, but entrenching their rights in a document. I think this is scary to the Saudi government… There is a fear of the people and anything that goes against the doctrine of the state. Hanging onto traditions and very strict values make it easier to do what you want to do.”

Isis destroys Nimrud as part of attempts to erase nations that make up Mideast, says Gerard Russell

One can find justification on a popular Islamic website run by a Saudi preacher called Sheikh Muhammad al-Munajjid. “Is it obligatory to destroy statues in Islam,” asks one inquirer, “even if they are part of the legacy of human civilisation?” The questioner points out that the Prophet Mohammed himself did not destroy these statues. The preacher’s response is uncompromising. Idols must be destroyed: if Mohammed’s companions did not destroy the Sphinx and other antiquities, it is only because they could not see them or lacked tools to demolish them. Others who share Sheikh al-Munajjid’s brand of Islam, “Salafis” as they call themselves, agree. A famous Egyptian Salafi called in 2012 for the Sphinx and the Pyramids to be destroyed – by: Gerard Russell

cp9 USA

The Yemen conflict is emblematic of America’s unhappy entanglement in the regional politics of the Middle East, but it hasn’t been an issue in the election, nor did it come up in any of the debates.

Yet neither candidate has bothered to articulate much of a position on how they would handle the situation as president.

But if we forego debating the American role in Yemen, in so doing we avoid a bigger conversation about U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

The U.S.-Saudi alliance is at the heart of the matter, and this debate is to some extent really about that relationship. The anti-interventionist position on Yemen, held by many on the left as well as some contingents of conservatives and libertarians, is that the U.S. should never have signed on to support the Saudis’ scorched-earth campaign and should withdraw that support posthaste. While we’re at it, we should stop selling the Saudis arms altogether, given their predilection for misusing them while also funding dangerous militants and exporting fundamentalist Wahhabi ideology throughout the Muslim world, and given that we’re not nearly as dependent as we used to be on Saudi oil to meet our energy needs. If the U.S. wanted to dump the Saudis, disengaging from Yemen would be a good first step.

On the other side of the spectrum is the interventionist position espoused by the neoconservative Max Boot, which depicts the Houthis as a direct proxy of Iran and thus treats the recent attacks on American ships as Iranian belligerence.

Both of these positions have their complications, however, which speak to the fact that making U.S. foreign policy is never as easy as its critics would like it to be.

The crisis in Yemen will be perhaps the second most important test case (after Syria) of the next president’s foreign-policy doctrine, particularly their approach to the Middle East – By Jonah Shepp

The Vietnam War and Our Latest war on Yemen Have One Thing in Common-- Nonexistent Attacks.

The missile attack on a US ship off the coast of Yemen was a major news event, but the subsequent follow up story, that it may never have happened, was either ignored by mainstream media or intentionally covered up. The whole thing has the same odor as the Gulf of Tonkin incident that never occurred.

Does history repeat itself? Sure does seem like it. That is if you compare America's entry into the Vietnam civil war, with America's latest entry into the war in Yemen.

Don't be mistaken, we have been at war with Yemen for a year now. America sided with the most oppressive government in the world, Saudi Arabia, in attacking and pounding Yemeni schools, funeral parlors, and hospitals, for well over a year. This war could not have happened without a wink and a nod from the US, and the arming of the Saudis' with US weapons

All that however, was not enough for the US. Now we have actively entered the shooting war, based on yet another possible ruse by our government. The US Navy claimed they were attacked by Houthi missiles from somewhere in Yemen.

The US very quietly admitted, perhaps it was all about "ghost radar images", and there never were any missiles. This story was completely ignored by mainstream media. Supposedly, whether the attack occurred is being investigated by the military, and there will be a report coming, but don't wait up for the late-night news to hear the results of the pending report. It might never come, or if it does, would you believe a report where the military is investigating itself?

So what does this have to do with history repeating itself? Some may remember the Vietnam War, where the US entered a civil war on the other side of the globe, based on an alleged "attack" by North Vietnam on a US navy ship. There was never any sighting of the attacker, there was never any damage by the attack, and we know now, years later, that there was never any such attack. Sound familiar? It all was due to false readings and ghost images on radar screens. The alleged attack took place in the Gulf of Tonkin. Quickly the US Congress, rushed to get involved in Vietnam's civil war by seeking revenge for an attack that never happened. It passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which authorized the US president to get revenge. America's entry into the Vietnam civil war lasted 10 years, and cost the lives of approximately 55,000 US soldiers, and about 3 million Southeast Asians. That's correct 3 million lives! We attacked this past week with no discussion, debate, or consent by Congress. Like the cowards they are, Congress never said a word, but stuck their heads deep in the sand. The President, now has the power to do such things, and the Constitution in that regard is irrelevant.

How many years will the war with Yemen last? How many will be killed? Why are we fighting Yemen? Why has Saudi Arabia attacked Yemen? Will there be blowback from Yemen in the future, or do you feel the innocent Yemeni's will simply lie down and die quietly? And the last quiz question of the day: Name the countries the US is currently bombing – By Joseph Clifford

In Effort To Save Saudi Arabia From The Houthis, Has The U.S. Created Another Gulf Of Tonkin?

Per the usual, the U.S. justification for the attack is questionable at best, and, in the end, an example of just how arrogant and aggressive U.S. foreign policy is toward the rest of the world and, in particular, those nations and forces who do not capitulate to U.S. interests. According to mainstream press reports and the U.S. government itself, the United States responded to alleged missiles being fired from Houthi-occupied territory at the U.S. battleship U.S.S. Mason.

The Western press has, of course, responded in a predictable fashion by rushing to point out that the U.S. position was entirely justified and was nothing more than retaliation at unprovoked threats produced by the “Iranian proxies” fighting against the democratic kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s invasion of Yemeni territory.

Interestingly enough, the United States itself admits that the Houthis may not have fired the missiles

Take a look at the logic being presented by the Pentagon here. “Missiles were fired presumably at our ship. We do not know who fired them. Therefore, we attacked the Houthis.” Is it now considered prudent military and international policy to bomb forces for an act no one is actually sure they committed? With all this in mind and given the track record of the United States government ginning up “attacks” in order to justify foreign military adventures, it would be wise to question the nature and even the existence of the “missile attacks” to begin with, not only who actually fired the missiles.

“For the United States to employ direct military force against an albeit conflict-embroiled sovereign nation over an incident still under investigation and as-yet unproven indisputable fact, is reminiscent of the vehicle it undertook to embroil itself in the Vietnam War — the Gulf of Tonkin incident,” writes Claire Bernish. “However, in this case,” she continues, “the move could prove an arrogant flub of enormous proportions.

Thus, just as the United States’ complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity begins to gather attention on the global stage, the Houthis inexplicably launch missiles at a U.S. warship.

It is also noteworthy to mention the fact that the U.S. attack is coming as the Saudis become revealed for being the paper tiger that they truly are

The United States is standing on the precipice of yet another direct military invasion of yet another sovereign country that will surely end in a quagmire – by Brandon Turbeville

cp10 Großbritannien / Great Britain

23.10.2016 – Press TV Iran (A K P)

UK rapped over Yemen war crime complicity

UK role in Yemen war driven by money: Commentator

A recent report shows that the Saudi Air Force is being trained by the British Government in both Saudi Arabia and the UK itself. The liberal political party has urged the government to immediately stop the training and restrict arms sales to the oil-rich kingdom. A spokesman for the party has condemned the indiscriminate bombing of innocent civilians by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, as blatant violation of international humanitarian law. Britain’s defense Secretary Michael Fallon has admitted helping the Royal Saudi Air Force but added that it was meant to improve their targeting process. Saudi Arabia came under mounting pressure for its recent airstrikes which killed at least 140 people and injured up to 600 more at a funeral in the Yemeni city of Sana’a.

[Interviewing British journalist Tony Gosling]

Press TV has asked investigative journalist Tony Gosling what he thinks about the British role in this war.

“What the UK government is doing is actually a money-making exercise,” Gosling underscored. “3.3 billion pounds a year being made by British companies by selling arms to Saudi Arabia. And now we hear as well [about] supporting and the training of the pilots that are doing the killings that many believe is a war crime.”

"So, what is behind Saudi [Arabia's] slaughter in Yemen? Many people around the world, except maybe the British government and the British people [because] this is not reported properly in Britain, are asking what is behind it?"

Gosling went on, "The Middle East is being Balkanized and destabilized and this is happening to every sovereign country that does not follow [the] US and Israeli orders."

Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven, and with him the Swedish arms-dealer magnate Jacob Wallenberg, are travelling to Saudi Arabia for an official visit. The meetings with the Saudis, as announced by the Swedish Radio, shall aim to “increase the exchange” between the two countries. [1] At the same time, the Chairman of the Defense Committee in the Swedish Parliament, Mr Allan Widman, is now demanding that Sweden should send arms to US-backed Pershmerga, integrating the US & Saudi-led coalition in Iraq. [2]

The above-mentioned issues are not only connected in their timing, but are also produced against the backdrop of the US and Saudi instigated Syria war aimed to depose the legitimate government of Assad, and the confrontation pursued by NATO and its political front EU against Russia. Accusations put forward in the US, among other by Senator Richard Black, indicate that Saudi Arabia has been financing/arming ISIS jihadists. [3] The Senator revealed also that “Saudi Arabia and Turkey formed the Army of Conquer and coordinated ISIS and Al-Qaida”. To the best of my knowledge the Senator has not been refuted on these allegations. Further, emails published by WikiLeaks’ Podesta series revealed that Hillary Clinton has been fully aware – already since 2014 – of the fact that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar were financing ISIS.[3] On the other hand, the US government has claimed the responsibility for financing, training and arming so-called “moderate rebels” – the “moderate terrorists” – which together with ISIS maintain a common war against the government of Syria. [4]

The law in Sweden forbids the export of weapons to parties/zones in on-going military conflict. However, the Swedish authorities, the military and the weapons-export complex ‘led’ ultimately by magnate Jacob Wallenberg have already breached the Swedish law in those regards.

This secret arms deal between Sweden and the Saudis [6] has also been exposed by the organization WikiLeaks. This occasioned the Swedish military react preposterously against the WikiLeaks founder, accusing Mr Assange and WikiLeaks on Swedish TV of “blackmailing Sweden”. [7]

Now the arms-dealer magnate Jacob Wallenberg and Swedish PM Stefan Löfven are sitting in a Swedish governmental plane heading to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile the human rights tragedy among the civilian populations targeted by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen or, to rephrase, its participation in the US-led coalition in Syria continues mortally and unabated. I wonder what the human-rights principled FM Margot Wallström thinks about all this – By Prof Marcello Ferrada de Noli

Today, on October 23, a Swedish delegation consisting of key government officials, led by PM Stefan Löfvén will meet their Saudi counterparts. The delegation also includes Marcus Wallenberg and Maria Rankka, chair and vice chair of ”Saudi-Swedish joint Business Council”. More importantly, Marcus Wallenberg is chairman of the board of SAAB, Sweden’s most important arms manufacturer and exporter. In essence, Sweden’s top political leadership and among the most important representatives of the arms export lobby of Sweden will meet the most heinous war criminals of our time to discuss issues of common interest, such as Sweden’s role as new member of the UNSC council, as well as (arms) business opportunities.

To understand the current situation, a recap of the main events in the Saudi/Swedish entanglement is necessary. It dates back to at least 2005 when Sweden and Saudi Arabia concluded an agreement of ”extended”defence cooperation, including the secret building of an advanced missile factory in Saudi Arabia with the assistance of Swedish expertise. The agreement was so sensitive that it was kept as a state secret, and an obscure front company was set up to hide the affair, which was nevertheless leaked to the public in 2012. The ensuing scandal killed the weapon’s factory project and lead to the resignation of the Swedish minister of defence. However, the abundant arms export from Sweden to Saudi Arabia remained ”business as usual”, as well as the extended defence agreement. This concludes phase one of the scandal, in Sweden denoted as the ”Saudi Affair”.

With respect to Saudi/Swedish contribution to ”innovation” one might wonder if the killing fields of Yemen constitute a favourable testing environment for the Swedish products of Death.

As for Saudi contribution to ”sustainability” and reduction of CO2 emissions, whatever sustainable method applied, wouldn’t it have been better not to flatten Yemen in the first place? The price in CO2 emissions in rebuilding Yemen will most certainly be much higher than any other ”sustainability” contribution from Saudi Arabia, from now until forever.

When it comes to Saudi Arabia as an ”…important political and economic actor with a key role in development and security in the region”, it is amazing how Mr. Löfvén confounds the solution with the problem, if he does not mean that the total annihilation of Yemen is among one of the means for increased security in the region. One cannot know, since he is mute on the subject.

Sweden want to promote itself to the world as a champion of human rights, peace, feminism, sustainability and all other things considered high civilisation. This week-end’s visit to Riyadh sets a new standard for the meaning of the word ”hypocrisy”, one which it will be hard to beat. Welcome to the UN Security Council, Sweden! – by Anders

Canadian Forces base to host design and engineering tests on LAVs destined for Saudi Arabia

Critics say the Liberal government has moved from passive to active support of the controversial arms sale

The Canadian military plans to open up one of its principal bases to help a major defence contractor validate design changes and quality assurance on light armoured vehicles destined for Saudi Arabia, CBC News has learned.

National Defence quietly agreed to the plan last year and signed a provision of service agreement, according to documents obtained under Access to Information legislation.

In January, the country's top military commander, Gen. Jonathan Vance, signed an additional document — known as a tasking order — which put the wheels in motion for the trials and evaluation, which is supposed to take place at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

At least one opposition party and an outspoken critic of the sale say the Liberal government has crossed a threshold, going from passive to active support of the sale.

The service agreement is slated to expire at the end of year, but documents quietly tabled in the Senate last summer show defence officials are expected to begin negotiating the next phase sometime this fall.

National Defence would not comment on the arrangement other than to say the army "can and does grant access to bases and training areas, and provided administrative/logistics support" for contractors under agreements that provide for "full cost recovery." – By Murray Brewster

Officials at International Trade requested the army help the company, the documents say.

cp14 Terrorismus / Terrorism

22.10.2016 – Noto Wahabism (* A T)

#Toyota has announced that #Saudi_Arabia,#Qatar, #UAE & #Jordan has bought 60 thousand cars and these cars have been gifted to #ISIS. According to this company 22500 cars have been bought by Saudi Arabia, 22000 by Qatar and 11650 have been bought by U.A.E. Similarly Jordan has also bought 4500 cars from a bank of Saudi Arabia.

cp15 Propaganda

23.10.2015 – The National UAE (A P)

Houthis show contempt for Yemen

The ceasefire in Yemen is over. No one who has followed the news of this brutal war will be in the least bit surprised, but the news is still painful to contemplate. For ordinary Yemenis, entering their 21st month of war, it wil mean only more death and destruction. It will mean more families without fathers, more children maimed, more homes destroyed, more companies out of business.

The worst part is that all of this was preventable. The Saudi-led coalition abided by the ceasefire for the 72 hours – and recorded more than 1,000 violations by the Houthi side. When the ceasefire was announced last week, we wrote that it would be a significant breakthrough if this one held, given how the rebels have treated past ceasefires as mere opportunities to regroup or attack. Sadly, this prediction has been proven correct.

What now? There remains no alternative but a lasting diplomatic solution, but in order to get to that stage, military force has had to be deployed. The deployment has come at considerable cost – to Yemen and its people, first and foremost, and to all the military forces engaged in the conflict against the Houthis, including the UAE.

This country has spent considerable blood and treasure to liberate Yemen from the rebels. The sacrifice of the young martyrs who gave their lives must not be forgotten – and it is for the sake of their memory and for their families that we must continue to liberate Yemen, so that their sacrifices were not in vain.

As before, it is important to pursue a twin track. On the battlefield, keeping the Houthi rebels out of the liberated areas in the south, while seeking to remove them from other areas they have taken over. The Houthis are dug into Sanaa but continue to seek to expand the war – down the western Red Sea coast and even across the Saudi Arabian border. Such incursions must be resisted.

But a diplomatic track is essential. The talks in Kuwait collapsed in August and since then the rebels have refused to return. But there is no alternative to talks. Without them, the humanitarian crisis will only intensify.

The burden of proof is now on the Houthi rebels. If they are serious about acting in the interests of the Yemeni people – as they claim –then they must end their occupation of the capital, stop expanding the war and return to talks. Anything else merely shows contempt for Yemen’s people.

Comment: Nice propaganda. Both sides broke the ceasefire. Writing “There remains no alternative but a lasting diplomatic solution”, while in the same article asking for an aggressive military option (“seeking to remove them from other areas they have taken over”). Having done wrong so much we must continue just for that this was not in vain (“and it is for the sake of their memory and for their families that we must continue to liberate Yemen, so that their sacrifices were not in vain.”). – Carrying the war over the Saudi border is “to expand the war”; Saudi bombing of regions far away from every fighting at any front is not?? Stay serious, please. – “The talks in Kuwait collapsed in August and since then the rebels have refused to return”: fiction, not fact. Do people so quickly forget what had happened two month ago? – “The burden of proof is now on the Houthi rebels” again just telling a solution is a retreat and capitulation of the other side, and finish. That’s just odd.

And the same sort of propaganda here. It’s just a Houthi blame game, reality does not matter:

24.10.2016 – Gulf News (A P)

Yemen in war mode as Houthis scupper truce

The ceasefire also needs to be enforced more rigorously and it is a matter of regret that last week’s 72-hour ceasefire was not observed very well. Al Houthi forces used rockets, shells and snipers to attack border cities inside Saudi Arabia in the Jizan and Nijran provinces. They also launched attacks on Sana’a and other provinces which included Taiz, Hajja, Shabwa, Mareb and Aden.

Such widespread abuse of the ceasefire does not encourage confidence in any movement to eventual peace talks. Indeed the Saudi-led coalition said that it has responded to Al Houthi attacks 'according to the engagement rules and was continuing to exercise the highest self-restraints towards the violations of the ceasefire'.

One expects the diplomats from the UN to maintain professional optimism in the most adverse of circumstances, so it was not a surprise that United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called for a renewal of the ceasefire.

Since March last year, at least three million people have lost their homes because they have had to flee the fighting, according to the UN. They are now living in camps or makeshift housing, and their families are suffering great deprivation. The people of Yemen deserve better and Al Houthi leaders need to focus on the humanitarian reasons to end the struggle

Comment: Almost the same propaganda as the article before. The Houthis are asked to capitulate, that would solve the problem. – Very nice: “Since March last year, at least three million people have lost their homes because they have had to flee the fighting”, and elegantly playing the ball into the field of the Houthis. “Fighting”: mentioning with no word that the greatest part of these refugees is due to Saudi coalition airstrikes.

24.10.2016 – Saudi Gazette (A P)

Yemen coup militias don’t want peace

The coup militias in Yemen deliberately thwarted humanitarian truce declared by the United Nations, said Chief of Yemeni General Staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Almekdeshi.

In a speech during the graduation ceremony of a number of military units held on Saturday night in Hadramout, he said that truce violations by coup militias added to the conviction of political and military leadership in Yemen that the perpetrators were not serious to accept peace and ready for a ceasefire.

“Every one saw the repeated breaches of truce by militias and their lack of commitment to truce by launching ballistic missiles on residential neighborhoods in the city of Marib, indiscriminate bombardment on civilians in Taiz and targeting military sites in more than one front,” he said.

Comment: Second rank officials repeating the official propaganda fairy tale as well.

22.10.2016 – Al Araby (A P)

Saudi FM accuses Houthis of breaching Yemen ceasefire

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of stepping up their attacks on Thursday and of putting in danger a day-old UN-brokered ceasefire.

Jubeir told reporters in Washington that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to defend itself from further Houthi attacks, but stopped short of declaring the truce a failure.

"As of this morning Washington time there had been more than 150 violations by the Houthi-Saleh side," Jubeir said, referring to the rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Sitting with US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks at the State Department, Jubeir called the alleged Houthi attacks an "escalation in the violence, rather than a reduction."

And he accused the Houthis of launching a missile across the border into Saudi territory and killing a man and his daughter.

"But I want to emphasise that we have a right to defend ourselves, we have a right to protect our borders, we have a right to protect our citizens and we have to ensure that the other side maintains its commitment to the cessation of hostilities."

The National Centre for Human Rights and the International Agency for Press for Strategic Studies AIJES condemned Al-Houthis violations of ceasefire declared by the United Nations and approved by the Yemeni government. AIJES Director Jamal Al-Awadhi carrying rebels responsible for the continued suffering of the people of Yemen and warned of a humanitarian disaster, will face more than twenty-five million Yemenis if the UN , EU, US doesn’t force Al- Houthis militia to implement the UN security council resolutions 2216. Houthis have violated the truce and ceasefire when its militias attacked the positions of the Yemeni army in Marib east of Yemen firing of missiles on the Saudi cities, killing at least 18 soldiers so far.

The coalition led by Saudi Arabia said in a statement it would respect the three-day truce provided its foes in Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi movement also complied, allowed aid supplies to reach combat areas and kept calm on the border.

Residents reported in the early hours of Wednesday that air raids hit several army barracks, the latest of thousands of air strikes during a 19-month military intervention by Saudi Arabia and Arab allies.

Comment: The ceasefire as a subject of propaganda. The organizations mentioned here seem to be nothing else than pro-Hadi propaganda tools. “International Agency for Press for Strategic Studies” 19 Google matches, all from last week.

22.10.2016 – Arab News (A K P)

Editorial: Investigation aside, bombing an Iraqi shrine is a reminder of the brutality of war

Just like misinformation led to a Saudi-led coalition plane targeting a funeral hall — and ultimately killing Yemeni civilians — earlier this month; yesterday’s airstrike on a Shiite shrine near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk — which has killed 15 women according to AFP — was another tragic reminder of wars, the mistakes that occur in them and how innocent civilians always end up paying the price. Of course, state-owned Iranian media immediately accused the United States of conducting the strike on the shrine (seemingly without bothering to seek a confirmation from the Pentagon). For its part, Arab News reached out to the US Department of Defense and a spokesperson advised that the matter is still being investigated, adding that they are in the process of finding out whether or not there were any missions by the US-led coalition against Daesh actually flying at the time and place of the above-mentioned strike. Yet, any well-informed expert on regional affairs will tell you that — apart from the US coalition — there aren’t exactly many options when it comes to the ability of conducting airstrikes in Iraq. At the same time, one must remember that the US — like Saudi Arabia — subscribes to and respects international treaties. Furthermore, and contrary to Iranian propaganda, it certainly has no interest or intention in targeting mosques, residential areas or funerals.

Comment by Judith Brown: Well I've posted this so that you can see propaganda at its most crude; the assertion that USA and Saudi Arabia keep to world treaties. Well it's just not true - and the list of violations is ever longer. To say nothing of the use of hegemonic and economic power to influence international bodies such as the UN to appoint Saudi officials to key positions, to overrule critics, reports, and to pass one sided resolutions. To say nothing of the non stop propaganda such as the legitimacy of Hadi's presidency and even Saudi going to war in support of 'democracy' in Yemen - as if it ever would accept a successful democracy on its southern flank. That is Yemen's Achilles heel - it's people have been pressing for democracy for the last forty years, unlike to other autocratic rulers in the GCC.

Iran has deployed a fleet of warships to the Gulf of Aden, the republic’s naval commander has confirmed. The deployment follows U.S. cruise missile strikes on Yemeni positions thought to be under Houthi rebel control.

The Iranian Navy has sent the warships to international waters for a mission that includes entering the area off the southern coast of Yemen, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari confirmed on Oct. 12. The area is among the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.

“The fleet will provide security to sea ways for Iranian vessels and protect Iran’s interests on the high seas,” Sayyari told Press TV.

“The 34th Fleet is comprised of the Bushehr logistic vessel and Alborz destroyer, and will conduct a three-month mission.”

Saudi-led military coalition fighting Shiite Houthi rebels resumed airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa Sunday morning, hours after a UN-mediated ceasefire expired, as the UN envoy is due in Sanaa within hours to seek an extension of the truce.

Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency cited a military official as saying that the planes launched nine air strikes on several residential areas in Sanaa in the morning.

"The planes fired various types of bunker buster missiles and bombs that jolted the whole city," the official was quoted as saying.

Residents told Xinhua that the warplanes hit al-Hafa mountainous military site in al-Sabeen district southeast of the capital five times.

The jets also waged two other strikes on adjacent military location in Mount Noqum, while the rest strikes struck al-Daylami air force base north of Sanaa, said the residents.

The airstrikes triggered an earthquake-like shake, causing huge damage to hundreds of residential houses, public and private properties, said the residents, adding that the fighter jets continued intensely flying over Sanaa.

Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition attacked targets inSanaa at dawn on Sunday, hours after a three-day truce in Yemen's war expired, residents in the capital said.

The strikes happened hours before the arrival in Sanaa of U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who is expected to discuss options for a political solution with Houthi representatives – By Mohammed Ghobari

A Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes around the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Sunday, just hours after a 72-hour cease-fire expired, according to security officials.

They said the pre-dawn airstrikes targeted military facilities belonging to the Shiite Houthi rebels fighting the internationally recognized government. They had no word on casualties or damage – by: Gerard Russell

The Saudi aggression's warplanes launched nine air strikes on several residential areas in the capital Sanaa on Sunday morning, firing various types of bunker buster missiles and bombs that jolted the whole city. An official and residents told Saba that the warplanes hit al- Hafa residential, mountainous area in al-Sabeen district southeast of the capital five times. The jets also waged two strikes on Noqum Mount, while the rest strikes struck al-Daylami air force base north of Sanaa, said the official. The violent air attacks jolted the whole capital city after triggering an earth-quick-like shake that caused huge damage to hundreds of citizens' houses, public and private properties. The fighter jets continued intensely flying over the sky of Sanaa and broke the sound barrier, said the official and the residents. The official said the warplanes used GBU-28 missiles and other types of bunker buster bombs in their air attacks on the residential quarters of the capital Sanaa this morning.

US-backed Saudi aggression launched two airstrikes on Nehm district northeast of the capital Sanaa overnight, an official told Saba on Monday. The strikes hit the areas of Maswara and Bani Barik, leaving damage to residents' homes and properties.

US-backed Saudi aggression fighter jets waged nine air strikes on Saada province overnight, a security official told Saba on Monday. The first raid targeted Ghamer area in Razah district and the other strike dropped cluster bombs on Takhiya area of Bakim district, injuring a citizen and causing heavy damage in citizens` properties. Meanwhile, the official said the warplanes launched seven strikes on Sunday midnight on al-Harirah and Rashaha areas of Kutaf district after flying intensively over the region.

Saudi-led aggression coalition war planes launched several strikes on Saada province and Jizan region overnight, a security official told Saba on Monday. Two strikes targeted al-Malahidh market in al-Dhaher district and the other strike targeted Tawailq area of Shada district in Saada. Further two raids hit al-Dawd Mount in Jizan region, the official said.

Six civilians were martyred after the US-backed Saudi aggression warplanes struck a citizen's farm in the northern province of Saada, a security official told Saba on Monday. The two strikes were carried out late on Sunday night on Bakim district, killing the six civilians from relative families and causing the crop of the farm to explode in a ball of flame. Meanwhile, the official said that another air strike hit Takhiya area in the same district, where enemy Saudi pilots dropped cluster bombs that set the whole residential area on fire. The air strikes using cluster bombs were the latest of a series of such crimes by the Saudi aggression against the citizens of Saada province.

Saudi aggression warplanes launched three air raids on Nehm district of Sanaa province overnight, a security official told Saba on Sunday. The warplanes targeted Baran area and al-shabakah in the same district, causing badly damage in private and public properties

Saudi aggression warplanes launched three air raids on Nehm district of Sanaa province overnight, a security official told Saba on Sunday. The warplanes targeted Baran area and al-shabakah in the same district, causing badly damage in private and public properties

Saudi aggression warplanes continued over the past hours to breach cease-fire declared by the United Nations throughout Yemen, officials told Saba on Saturday. In the northern governorate of Saada, at least three civilians were killed in an air strike by the Saudi aggression warplanes that targeted citizen`s houses in Mafrag Baqim district. In Marib, at the heart of the country, Saudi air forces launched four air raids on the center of Serwah district, as well as the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired artillery and missiles targeted the army and popular forces` sites in Malh and al-Rabiah areas of the district. The air strikes and mercenaries indiscriminate shells damaged residents' houses, the officials said. In Sanaa governorate, the warplanes waged two raids on Bani Hushish district and other two strikes on Nagail Ban Gailan mountainous highway of Nehm district of governorate, northeast of the capital, Sanaa. In Jawf, the northeast province, the aggression fighter jets launched two strikes on al- Ghayl district in Jawf, where officials and residents said the aggression fighter jets intensively flew over the regions for hours on Friday night – By Ali Ahsan

A citizen was killed in a Saudi aggression air raid on al-Falaqa area in Moton district of Jawf province on Saturday morning, an official told Saba. The strike hit resident's homes in the district, one civilian died right after the strike, said the official.

cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War

24.10.2016 – Saba Net (A K PH)

the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired artillery shells on residents` houses and farms in the same district, causing damage to citizens` properties and farmlands, the official added. the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired artillery shells on residents` houses and farms in the same district, causing damage to citizens` properties and farmlands, the official added.

At least 25 Saudi-paid mercenaries, including top leaders, on Sunday in Marib province in unique military operations conducted over the past hours by the heroes of the army and popular forces, a military official told Saba. Top mercenary commander, Major Abdo Said Abdo al-Shawri was among the killed in the successful operation attack in Wadi al-Rabiah area in Serwah district . The other operation resulted in wounding senior mercenary Khalid al-Aqrha in al-Jaraf, locates between al-Makhdarah area and Mass military camp, in the same province.

A number of mercenaries were killed and others wounded in an abortive attack by the mercenaries when they attempted to advance towards the army and popular forces` sites off al-Buqa border crossing north of Saada province, a military official told Saba on Sunday. The units of the army and popular forces bombed Saudi two military vehicles and killed scores during the operation overnight.

Al-Buqa area, also in Saada, the army and popular forces repelled Saudi-paid mercenaries when attempting to infiltrate towards the border crossing point of al-Buqa. In Asir region, on the Yemeni northern border, the army and popular forces held off another attempt of the mercenaries to advance on al-Shaibani Galal area. In Marib, the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired artillery and missiles targeted the army and popular forces` sites in Malh and al-Rabiah areas of the district. The air strikes and mercenaries indiscriminate shells damaged residents' houses, the officials said. In southeast governorate of Al-Baidha, the mercenaries targeted the army and popular forces` military sites in Qevh, al-Zahir, Mukeiras and Dhi Naim districts with light and medium weapons. In the southeastern province of Shabwa, the mercenaries shelled with various weapons the army military sites in Usaylan district. In Taiz, the southwest province, the Saudi-paid mercenaries fired heavy and medium weapons on the provincial capital city of the province, which bears the same name. the mercenaries shelling also targeted the national army sites in Qushabah, Omari Dhubab, Karash areas in west of Taiz, as well as al-Wazeih district. Meanwhile, the army repelled an attempt by the mercenaries to advance toward Jarah Mount. The officials said the aggression warplanes kept flying over the province's capital city and districts for hours overnight. In Jawf, the army and popular forces repelled two attempts by the mercenaries to advance from al-Saber area to Sakia area and the other attempt towards Wafz area in al-Maslob district. In the meantime, the army and popular forces bombed mercenaries' military vehicles when the army and popular forces confronted infiltration by the mercenaries in al-Moton district, also in Jawf. In Lahj, the southwest province, the national army and popular forces repelled the mercenaries' attempts to advance towards the national forces' sites in Kahbub area. In the southern province of al-Dhalee, the mercenaries fired light and medium weapons against residents' houses in Ramah, Nasah, Goz al-Kasabh and Shaleil villages, killing a citizen and wounding another in Shaleil village. In the far northwest province of Hajja, the army and popular forces foiled an attempt by the enemy Saudi troops to advance toward the farthermost port of Tabat al-Sahil in the port city of Medi, the officials said – By Ali Ahsan

A number of Saudi-paid mercenaries were killed by the army and popular committees' forces' shells which targeted the mercenaries' attempt of advance to al-Najd area in Serwah district of Marib province, a military official said on Saturday. The operation took place on Friday. A number of the mercenaries were killed on their vehicles when they were bombed by the army and popular forces during their attempt to infiltrate towards al-Bahra Mount in the area, the official added.

The army and popular forces destroyed a Saudi-paid mercenaries' vehicle in al- Khalifin area in Khab and Sha'af district of Jawf province, killing its crew, a military official told Saba on Saturday. The operation occurred on Friday when the army repulsed an attempt by the aggression mercenaries to advance toward military sites in the area, which led to the bombing of mercenaries' military vehicle and killing its crew, the official said.

US-Saudi-paid mercenaries fired artillery shells on Hareib al-qramish district of Marib province, an official told Saba on Saturday. The shelling targeted al-Hamadah ,al-Rawdhah villages and Serim valley in the same district, caused badly damage to peoples` houses and farms

Al-Arabiya sources said that Hassan Yahya al-Sharafi – Houthi leader and member of the militia’s delegation in the Kuwait talks – had been killed during a clash in one of the Saudi-Yemeni border regions.

The source said that “the Houthi leader Hassan Yahya al-Sharafi was killed in Khubah in the south of Jizan, when Saudi forces launched an operation in response to the rebels’ militias operations targeting Saudi territories. Sources on the field revealed that Sharafi was killed with 23 other members.

In Najran, 12 Houthis were killed when Saudi forces were repelling an attack undertaken by the militiamen.

Yemeni forces have targeted a convoy of Saudi military forces and Saudi mercenaries in Saudi Arabia’s southwest with a rocket.

The retaliatory rocket attack was carried out against the convoy by Yemen’s army and fighters of the Ansarullah movement in the al-Khazra’ district of Saudi Arabia’s Najran region on Friday, Yemen’s al-Masirah television said.

The report said the attack killed and injured a large number of the Saudi forces and mercenaries.

On Saturday, Saudi jets hit the al-Maton district in the northwestern Yemeni province of Jawf, killing one Yemeni civilian.

Saudi Arabia launched rocket attacks against several areas in the Yemeni province of Sa’ada on Friday. According to al-Masirah, the rockets hit residential areas in the Shada district.

On Thursday, six people were killed in airstrikes by Saudi warplanes on Sa’ada and the province of Amran.

Senior Yemeni commanders announced that their forces have captured a Saudi military base with all its weapons and ammunition inside Saudi Arabia.

"The Yemeni special forces attacked a Saudi military base in the Eastern side of Najran and captured the military base after fierce clashes which lasted over three hours," senior Ansarullah commander Ali al-Hamzani told FNA on Saturday.

He noted that the tribal leaders in Najran have warned against the dangerous security conditions in their province and called on the Riyadh government to drive out the al-Qaeda terrorists from Najran soon.

"This is while Saudi Arabia has intensified sectarian differences in Najran through reinvigorating the Takfiri terrorists in the region," al-Hamzani said.

Fighter jets from the Saudi-led coalition targeted and destroyed a rocket launcher on Thursday positioned by the Shia Houthi militant group in the eastern Yemeni city of Marib, Anadolu has reported. The information centre of the National Yemeni Army said on Facebook that the “air strike hit the target.”

The mobile rocket launcher was used by the Houthis and factions supporting ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh to strike populated areas. According to the official statement, the militants positioned the launcher in an area located between Sanaa and Marib exploiting the truce. It added that the coalition aircraft also targeted two military vehicles at the same site.

Last night, it is claimed that the coup militias launched three rockets towards Marib but the defence system intercepted them and undermined an attack on “vital residential areas”. Anadolusaid that there were no comments forthcoming from the coalition itself.